"I really don't want to intrude. But I have my recorder right here. It won't take long and then I must move on. Now I notice you're fully dressed. Most remarkable. We always thought you prior people indulged in sex orgies almost continuously." "My God!" "Your thoughts are confused. Is it because you're insane? You haven't had much experience in thought projection, have you?" Julia jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom. She locked the door behind her and turned on the cold water full force. She cupped her hands under the faucet and plunged her face into the cascading coldness. My name is Julia Fenway. I'm a file clerk at Continental Insurance. I'm going to die and I'm not preoccupied with sex. She turned off the faucet and stared into the sink. The water gathered into a little whirlpool and disappeared down the drain. There was a knock on the bathroom door. The voice was in her head. "I wonder if I could see that. We have some rather indistinct writings on running water. I'd like to bring them up to date." The cold water didn't help. If anything, it was worse now. The knocking came from the door. She was sure of it. But the voice ... the voice was inside her. "May I come in?" Julia sat down on the edge of the tub. She squeezed her head between her hands. I don't deserve this. What did I do to deserve this? "Please. I'm on a tight schedule." "So am I! Go away!" She was talking to it. She was talking to the voice in her head. Then it was very quiet. Julia watched the door, waiting for someone to walk through its solidness. Nothing happened. She lowered her head and started to count the tiny tiles in the floor. If I count one row very carefully, it will take me five minutes, two rows ten minutes, three rows.... She started to count. * * * * * As she was midway through the fourth row, the voice said, "I don't think you realize the importance of my visit. We recognize your right of privacy, but don't you feel in this case...?" Julia jumped up and pulled open the door. "Let me die in peace!" She ran into the other room and stood in the middle of it, looking all around, breathing hard. Belle leaped down from the dresser, her doze finished, and rubbed against Julia's leg. The water in the bathroom was running. She hadn't shut it off. But she had. She had. The water started again. It stopped. It started. It stopped. "How quaint." There is someone here! "Who are you?" "Vassi." "Vassi?" "I'm chief historian, research division. It's my first trip in time. The scientists have been playing around with this thing for years and they've only just let us take it over."